Privacy4Patriots Responds to Two Arrests in Illinois over Smart Meter Installation by Recommending Further Study on the Subject

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Citing privacy, health and security issues, two Naperville, Ill., homeowners were arrested recently for refusing to allow the city to install smart meters on their property. In response, Privacy4Patriots recommends a more in-depth look at citizens’ concerns over smart meters before making them mandatory for homeowners.

Privacy4Patriots said it has received communications from its customers citing privacy concerns about smart meters, including the collection of personal data about users and their energy habits.

Nashville, TN (PRWEB)February 02, 2013

The city of Naperville, Ill., has been installing smart meters at tens of thousands of homes recently, and the Chicago Tribune reports that two homeowners are not happy about it. Both were arrested recently for trying to stop the installations.

The women are members of the Naperville Smart Meter Awareness group, and they have a federal lawsuit pending against the city, according to the article.

Privacy4Patriots, the publisher of an upcoming report on how to protect your privacy, recommends that municipalities pay more attention to citizen’s concerns about privacy, security and health in connection with the installation of smart meters, before making the smart meters mandatory.

Smart meters record consumption of electric energy and communicate that information back to the utility for monitoring and billing purposes. They measure consumption in real time, notify the utility of a power outage and communicate the quality of the power being consumed.

According to the Chicago Tribune article, Naperville officials have said that the smart meters will reduce costs.

Privacy4Patriots said it has received communications from its customers citing privacy concerns about smart meters, including the collection of personal data about users and their energy habits, plus the potential of that data being shared without the knowledge or permission of consumers.

The Norwich (Conn.) Bulletin reported that a number of groups against smart meters have emerged across the country, and that in Maine, the Public Utility Commission voted to allow customers to opt out of smart meters after officials received numerous complaints about health and privacy concerns.